Kelly claimed the IBF title earlier this year and is due to make his first defence. Agyarko remains undefeated and is building towards a title opportunity, making the bout a logical domestic option moving forward.
Details remain limited. No location has been confirmed, and no contracts have been publicly acknowledged. Without it, the battle is in the early discussion stage rather than a settled event.
The timing would put the fight in a busy stretch for the division, but until an announcement is made, the situation remains open.
Agyarko is a solid fighter, but he hasn’t beaten anyone on the world stage to warrant a title shot. For Kelly to go from a close, controversial win over a champion straight to a “safe” domestic defense suggests a few things to the fans:
Team Kelly may be trying to protect the belt and bank a homecoming salary in the Northeast without the risk of losing it to a puncher. If Kelly struggled so much with Bakhram Murtazaliev’s pressure last January, he may not be ready for the elite of the 154-lb division, such as Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Taking this fight against Agyarki invites the criticism that Kelly is just holding the IBF belt hostage rather than proving that he is the best in the weight class.
It’s a tough sell for a stadium fight at the Stadium of Light. While it may do well locally in Sunderland, the hardcore boxing community sees it as a mismatch designed to pad a record rather than build a legacy.
